Adaptor for centering bells on bottle filling machines



y 1965 J. 5. TIDWELL 3,183,946

ADAPTOR FOR CENTERING BELLS ON BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES Filed Aug. 1, 1962 IN VEN TOR.

(/0: 5. 77c1 we// fi/arrreys i d S ates Patent F 3,183,946 ADAPTOR FOR CENTERING BELLS ON BOTTLE FILLING MACHINES Joe S. Tidwell, Crawford Johnson Co.,

3301 11th Ave. N., Birmingham, Ala. Filed Aug. 1, 1962, Ser. No. 214,054 2 Claims. (Cl. 141-371) This invention relates to an adaptor for centering bells on bottle filling machines andmore particularly to such an adaptor to adjust the stroke of the centering bell along a filling tube for filling bottles of dilferent heights.

Hereto-fore, in machine filling of bottles of difierent heights, it has been necessary to employ a separate centering bell for each height bottle. An example of such prior art apparatus is shown in US. Patent No. 947,314, dated January 25, 1910, and issued to F. C. H. Strasburger. The substitutions of such centering bells when changing from one bottle height to another is time consuming, burdensome and costly.

It is an object of the present invention to equip a bottle filling machine with means about the filling tube thereof disposed for positive adjustment relative to a centering bell on the filling tube so that the stroke of the centering bell along the filling tube may be varied to accommodate bottles of diiferent heights.

A further object of the present invention is to equip the centering bells of a bottle filling machine with means mounted on the upper end of the bells disposed for positive adjustment to a plurality of positions to make the bells accommodate bottles of different heights thereby obviating the necessity of substituting different centering bells for bottles of different heights.

Another object of the present invention is to provide an adaptor for a centering bell in which the centering bell and adaptor are mounted in slidable relation on a filling tube and coacting elements on the bell and adaptor are provided to adjust the adaptor for movement between a plurality of positions at different distances from the bell thereby to make the bells accommodate bottles of different heights.

A device showing features of my invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this application, in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary, sectional view showing my invention on a bottle filling machine with the centering bell being carried by the lower end of a filling tube and an adaptor thereon adjusted for relatively large height bottles FIG. 2 is an enlarged sectional fragmentary view of the centering shell and filling tube in filling position with the centering bell adjusted for a relatively small height bottle and engaging stop means on the bottle filling apparatus;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary perspective view of the upper end of the centering bell showing a plurality of pins extending therefrom; and,

FIG. 4 is an enlarged perspective view of an adaptor having a plurality of recesses therein of difierent lengths.

Referring to the drawing, '1 show one type of filing machine partially in FIG. 1 on which my invention may be employed. The head of the filling machine is indicated by the numeral and has a filling tube 11 extending downwardly therefrom. A seat 12 is provided'on head 10.

The lower end of filling tube 11 is enlarged at 17 and a nozzle is provided thereat through which a liquid such as carbonated water is dispensed. A centering bell indicated generally by the numeral 18 is carried on the end of filling tube 11 in sliding relation. A bushing 19 secured to filling tube 18 extends upwardly therefrom and 3,183,946 Patented May 18, 1965 the lower end of bushing 19 engages enlargement 17 as shown in FIG. 1. A resilient seat 21 is provided about the lower end of bushing .19 to receive the mouth of a bottle B as shown in FIG. 2 to provide an air-tight connection in filling position. Three pins 22 extend upwardly from the upper end of hell 18 and are spaced equidistant along the circumference of the circle. Bushing 19 extends above pins 22 as shown in FIG. 3. Bushing 19 freely slides along filling tube 11 when bell 18 is engaged by the mouth of a bottle B.

As well known in the art, a plurality of filling tubes 11 such as fifty or the like are arranged about the circum- \ference of a bottle filling machine and the bottles are moved vertically as they move about the circumference of the bottle filling machine. Thus, the mouth of a bottle B engages seat 21 of a bell 18 in the position shown in FIG. 1 and as \bottle B moves upwardly, bell 18 slides along tube 11 until bottle B reaches its uppermost position at which position a suitable valve is actuated by cam means (not shown) to dispense carbonated water through nozzle 15 into the bottles. The bottles have previously been filled with syrup by separate filling means. Nozzle 15 is positioned within bottle B at the desired filling height and upon the liquid reaching ports in nozzle 15 the flow of carbonated water ceases as the ports must remain open in order for the carbonated water to be dispensed. Thus, when a large height bottle is substituted tor a relatively small height bottle, the stroke of the centering bell should be adjusted in order to maintain nozzle 15 at the desired filling height for both a relatively large height bottle and a relatively small height bottle.

The height adjusting mechanism to vary the stroke of the bell along filling tube 11 comprises an adaptor indicated generally by the numeral 26 and having a central bore 27 therethrough to receive bushing 19 of centering hell 18. Three relatively long recesses 28 are provided in the lower end of adaptor 26 and three reccesses 29 of a relatively small length are provided in the lower end of adaptor 26 as shown in FIG. 4. Pins 22 on bell 18 are adapted to fit, selectively, in recesses 29 as shown in FIG. 2 or to fit in recesses 28 as shown in FIG. 1. For a relatively large height bottle, recesses 28 receive pins 22 as shown in FIG. 1 and for a relatively small height lbot-tle, recesses 29 receive pins 22 as in FIG. 2. It is understood that additional sets of recesses could be provided to adjust centering bell 18 for more than two different height bottles, if desired.

In operation, adaptor 26 is rotated relative to bushing 19 to receive pins 22 either in recesses 28 or 29 depending on the particular height bottle. As bottle B moves in a circular path about the bottle filling machine, bell 18 is engaged by the mouth of bottle B and is moved up wardly thereby until adaptor 26 engages seat 12. Bottle B engages resilient seat 21 to form a gas-tight connection thereat. A liquid valve (not shown) is opened through cam means and liquid is discharged through nozzle 15 with nozzle 15 positioned at the desired filling height. When a predetermined amount of liquid, such as carbonated 'water, has been dispensed within bottle B, the bottle is lowered and filling tube 11 is removed therefrom. Next, the bottle B moves to another station for capping and/or additional liquid filling.

From the foregoing, it will be under-stood that I have provided a bottle filling machine equipped with means about the filling tube thereof that is disposed for positive adjustment relative to a centering hell on the filling tube so that the stroke of the centering bell along the filling tube may be varied to accommodate :bottles of different heights. The means comprises an adaptor disposed for positive adjustment to a plurality of positions to make the bells accommodate bottles of different heights. Coacting elements are provided on the bell and adaptor to adjust the adaptor for movement between the plurality of positions.

While I have shown my invention in but one form, it will be obvious to those skilled in the art that it is not so limited, but is susceptible of various changes and modifications without departing from the spirit thereof, and I desire, therefore, that only such limitations shall be placed thereupon as are specifically set forth in the appended claims.

What I claim is:

a 1. In combination,

(a) a bottle filling tube enlarged at its lower end, (b) a bottle centering bell having a bore through which said tube extends with the low-er end of the tube carrying the bell in slidable relation,

(c) an adaptor located above the upper end of the bell and having a bore slidably receiving the tube,

(d) Lrneans adjacent the upper end of the tube to on- 4% gage the adaptor to stop the upward sliding movernent of the bell and adaptor,

(e) and coacting elements on said bell and said adaptor to space the adaptor from the bell at different distances, one of said coacting elements being a plurality Of pins and the other coacting element :being recesses of difierent lengths to receive the pins.

2. The combination of claim 1 in which said pins are secured to and extend upwardly from :the'bell and said recesses for the pins are formed in the adaptor.

7 References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 846,169 3/07 Valerius 141 177 2,530,755 11/50 Bingham 141 135 XR LAVERNE D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner.

LOUIS J. DEMBO, Examiner. V 

1. IN COMBINATION, (A) A BOTTLE FILLING TUBE ENLARGE AT ITS LOWER END, (B) A BOTTLE CENTERING BELL HAVING A BORE THROUGH WHICH SAID TUBE EXTENDS WITH THE LOWER END OF THE TUBE CARRYING THE BELL IN SLIDABLE RELATION, (C) AN ADAPTOR LOCATED ABOVE THE UPPER END OF THE BELL AND HAVING A BORE SLIDABLY RECEIVING THE TUBE, (D) MEANS ADJACENT THE UPPER END OF THE TUBE TO ENGAGE THE ADAPTOR TO STOP THE UPWARD SLIDING MOVEMENT OF THE BELL AND ADAPTOR, (E) AND COACTING ELEMENTS ON SAID BELL AND SAID ADAPTOR TO SPACE THE ADAPTOR FROM THE BELL AT DIFFERENT DISTANCES, ONE OF SAID COACTING ELEMENTS BEING A PLURALITY OF PINS AND THE OTHER COACTING ELEMENT BEING RECESSES OF DIFFERENT LENGTHS TO RECEIVE THE PINS. 